Groundwater Advisory Determination Application

How to request a Groundwater Advisory Determination letter, which outlines groundwater protection measures for the drilling of oil and gas wells and other activities regulated by the Railroad Commission of Texas.

 To request a Groundwater Advisory Determination, submit the following documents:

• a completed Form GW-1
  • Groundwater Advisory Determination Forms
  • Instructions for Form GW-1
• a scaled map showing the well location and surrounding survey lines;
• a copy of the electric log, if you are plugging, re-entering an existing well, or converting to a water well (P-13); and
• appropriate payment

Expedited processing is not available for saltwater disposal or seismic letters.

Note—If you are unable to obtain an appropriate site map, the RRC has an online public map viewer that will allow you to locate an existing well, determine the coordinates for a proposed well and retrieve details regarding a specific well. A scaled map printed from the RRC Web site (showing surrounding surveys) can be submitted with the GW-1 Form.

You may send the required documents via email to gau@rrc.state.tx.us, by regular U.S. mail or by an overnight express service.

Once a complete application is received, the approximate turn-around time for processing a Groundwater Advisory Determination letter is ten (10) business days.  For a fee, you may request expedited processing of your application.